Our mission at Pilot Light is to build upon all students’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors in order to cultivate informed decision-making not only in their relationships to food, but also in their families, communities, and classrooms. Our ever-growing team is searching for people who are mission-driven champions of food and education and whose backgrounds reflect those of the students we reach and can amplify their voices.
Interested in joining us? Check out our open job positions below!
Role: Feeding Futures Program Manager (PT)
Job Summary: The Feeding Futures Program Manager is a new, part-time position at Pilot Light managing operations of the Feeding Futures Fellowship (FFF) program in collaboration with our partners in the Food-Integrated Education Alliance (FIEA), which includes Pilot Light, the Chicago High School for Agriculture Science, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Decatur Public Schools Foundation, Illinois State Board of Education, Jackie Joyner Kersee Food, Agriculture and Nutrition Innovation Center in East St. Louis, Office of the Lt. Governor of Illinois, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC).
The Feeding Futures Fellowship invests in a cohort of 3rd-5th grade teacher leaders in (3 in East St. Louis, 4 teachers in Decatur, and 3 teachers in Chicago) over the 24-26 school years, who are committed to bringing Food, Nutrition and Agriculture Education to their students on a weekly basis aligning to core curriculum to expose young people to how food systems impact their lives, particularly from a culturally relevant perspective.
The part-time Program Manager will be responsible for successfully implementing this collaboration between FIEA members and Pilot Light and supporting the build-out of 3rd-5th grade curricular resources aligned to the local food system in 2025-2026, alongside Pilot Light staff and current and past Fellows.
Location: Must be authorized to work in the United States, live in the State of Illinois, and in close proximity to the East St. Louis area. Hybrid role with travel to Chicago, East St. Louis, and Decatur for site visits and in-community events.
Position Type: Part-time, as needed, an average of 20 hours per week. Some travel throughout the State of Illinois to program sites will be required.
Start Date: July 22nd-July 29th, 2024 (must be available on August 15th and 16th for Summer Institute Professional Development sessions as program onboarding for Fellows, conducted virtually from 9am-4pm CST)
Duties of the Position
Your duties will include the following:
(60%) Coordinate implementation of Feeding Futures Fellowship with East St. Louis, Decatur, and Chicago teachers:
- Co-lead onboarding of cohort consisting of 10 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade teacher “Fellows” (3 teachers in East St. Louis, 4 teachers in Decatur, and 3 teachers in Chicago) with the Food Education Fellowship Director (year 1)
- Provide school-year support on Agriculture and Food Education integration and community partnership planning to Fellows throughout the program via regular Zoom meetings, monthly professional development sessions, constructive feedback, and support with managing program requirements (year 1 and year 2)
- Steward relationships with teachers and Food-Integrated Education Alliance (FIEA) coalition team, between Fellows in regional cohorts, and across all regions through regular email and virtual interactions and share outs (year 1 and year 2)
- Plan, prepare and co-lead monthly virtual professional development sessions (year 1 and year 2)
- Provide regular summaries, action items and other necessary program communication following and between monthly PD sessions (year 1 and year 2)
- Oversee completion and submission of Fellow end of program materials and surveys; facilitate Fellow-facing end of program wrap up (year 1 and year 2)
- Co-plan a Summer Curriculum Summit to develop localized Agriculture Education lessons and unit plans with Pilot Light staff and Fellows (year 2)
(10%) Site Visits and Community Engagement
- In collaboration with PL staff, Fellows, and the FEIA coalition, schedule and attend 1 classroom visit and/or 1 community-led event per year per Fellow to support Food Education implementation and development of student-led advocacy projects aligned to FEIA’s network
- This may include hosting network members, legislators, or community partners
- Assist with logistics for in-person professional development and events hosted with FEIA coalition to share out learnings and connect with community partners
(30%) Program Administration & Evaluation Support
- Update and maintain the Feeding Futures website and its related resources/documents as necessary (year 1 and year 2)
- Support administrative tasks associated with the Feeding Futures program including reminders for submitting monthly teacher reflection portfolios and Fellow, school, and partner stipend payments (year 1 and year 2)
- Collaborate with Pilot Light and FIEA coalition members on initiatives and communications related to the Feeding Futures program (year 1 and year 2)
- Collaborate with UIUC evaluation team and Food Education Fellowship Director to develop and an evaluation plan that shows teacher growth over time (year 1)
- Collaborate with UIUC evaluation team, Food Education Fellowship Director, and Fellows to make recommendations for future program implementation practices based on teacher and student data, feedback from participants, and personal observations/reflections from the previous year’s implementation (year 2)
- Support in the process of identification of/communication with community partnerships in East St. Louis, Decatur, and Chicago in collaboration with FIEA coalition team (year 1)
- Engage in regular meetings with the PL staff, FIEA coalition, and Fellows (year 2)
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the employee for this job.
Reporting: The Feeding Futures Program Manager will report directly to the Food Education Fellowship Director.
Qualifications and Experience
- Prior teaching experience
- Urban food system and agriculture education knowledge – preferred
- Peer to peer coaching experience – preferred but not required
- Familiarity with Google Suite, Google Classroom, and Zoom platforms
- Willingness and comfortability learning and using new digital platforms
- Experience working with multiple community members – parents/caregivers, administrators, students, and teachers to bridge ideas
- Passion for Pilot Light’s mission and vision
- Must be available August 15th and 16th 9a-4p CST for Summer Institute and 5-7p CST on monthly professional development dates (year 1): September 11th, October 9th, November 13th, December 11th, January 15th, February 12th, March 12th, April 9th, May 14th, and June 4th. Year 2 dates TBD.
Skills and Knowledge
- Organization, project management, and ability to prioritize tasks and manage concurrent assignments under tight deadlines
- Comfortable with supporting food education integration into multiple educational content areas – preferred but not required
- Excellent verbal, writing, presentation, and interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate with partners and co-workers in a friendly and professional manner.
- Accountable and committed to personal growth and development regarding diversity, equity, inclusion, and access values
- Familiarity and dedication to a learner-centered framework of education
- Working knowledge of best practices in pedagogy and commitment to understanding the current educational landscape
- Understanding of instructional design & authentic assessment
- Familiarity with inquiry-based learning
- Simultaneously a team player & self-starter with exceptional organization and time management skills
- Maintains a high level of enthusiasm, energy, initiative, and drive
Travel will be required to East St. Louis, Decatur, and Chicago, as well as attending weekend and evening functions as needed. Access to a car is required and travel will be reimbursed.
Salary Range: $27-30K, dependent on experience
How to apply: Interested applicants should complete the survey found at the link below. Please note that you will be required to submit your resume through the form:
Equal Opportunity Employer
Pilot Light embraces a philosophy that recognizes, values, and actively seeks diversity among its team. We seek to attract, develop, retain and promote a talented diverse workforce in a culture where all employees will contribute to their fullest potential. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, citizenship, pregnancy or maternity, national origin, status as an individual with disability, age, ancestry, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state or local law.
About Pilot Light
Pilot Light is a Chicago-founded 501(c)(3) Food Education nonprofit organization that partners with educators to support them in teaching their students through food and about food. Students develop knowledge and skills to advocate for informed food choices for themselves, their families, and their communities.
Pilot Light’s teacher-led model is game-changing: through our approach, PreK–12 teachers are provided with the support and resources needed to integrate Food Education into their classrooms and engage students during implementation while also teaching them about food and its importance in their lives outside of school.
Over the past 10 years, Pilot Light has grown from one Chicago elementary school to reach over 20,000 students across the country. During the pandemic, the organization scaled its offerings nationwide through virtual content and the introduction of several new programs and partnerships.
Pilot Light leads in Food Education through programming and professional development rooted in our Food Education Standards. We serve districts, schools, teachers, and learners through our Food Education Center, the annual Food Education Fellowship, Fellowship Alumni Network, and a variety of rapidly growing school and district partnerships.
Thank you for your interest in joining Pilot Light! Please reach out to us if you are interested in connecting with us as well as for volunteering and/or internship opportunities.